City worker hit while collecting trash

Published 8:00 pm, Tuesday, July 22, 2008

A Norwalk Department of Public Works employee is in stable condition in Norwalk Hospital after he was struck by a motorist on Quintard Avenue Tuesday morning.

Neil Dennehy was returning to his garbage truck when he was struck by a northbound car.

"I heard a bump and then I heard the squealing (of brakes)," said Joe Cruz, who was across the street looking at work being done on Pivot House. The home offers counseling for those struggling with drug and alcohol addiction. Cruz works as the education counselor for the facility.

He said Dennehy's head smashed into the windshield and that he was thrown from the car after the initial impact into a utility pole on the sidewalk in front of 20 Quintard Ave.

The driver, who was described as a man in his 20s, went to check on Dennehy but another sanitation worker yelled at him not to move him.

"The sanitation guy was screaming, 'Don't touch him, don't touch him,' and also telling Dennehy to not to move," said Cruz.

Robin Schachter, who lives nearby, said that speeding motorists are a common nuisance on the street ever since it was paved about two months ago.

"It's a lot worse than it used to be, especially at night," said Schachter, who said the city should install speed bumps to deter motorists from speeding.

There is a speed bump about 100 yards south of

the accident scene but Schachter said more are needed to deter drivers.

Dennehy had already collected the garbage and deposited it in the garbage truck on the street's west side, said Cruz. He walked back to the east side of the street to return the trash cans and had only taken a couple of steps back on to the street when he was struck.

Another eyewitness, Rafael Perez, who was part of the crew working on Pivot House, said he heard a "boom" sound and looked over to see Dennehy lying on the sidewalk.

Perez said the car was a smaller Nissan four-door sedan.

There were small drops of blood at the scene plus some glass and a smashed rearview mirror.